The present invention generally relates to methods and systems which provide secure distributed computing. More particularly, the invention is directed to methods and systems for authenticating executable files which are situated on unsecure computer workstations but are connected through a relatively secure network.
The concept of distributed computing has become popular in recent times due, at least in part, to the combination of secure high-speed communication networks and exceptional computational resources in relatively small and inexpensive workstations and computers. This technology evolution has led to distributed computing environments in which the computational task is partitioned and then distributed to the diverse server computers or workstations in a network. The distributed computing environment has proven to be particularly suited to the needs of simulators given their prevailing practice of repeating the same simulation with a multitude of different parameter values or conditions. The distributed computing environment allows such simulations to be run in parallel, each workstation or server computer performing the simulation based upon the parameters assigned.
A commonly encountered problem with distributed computing networks arises from the physical dispersion of the workstations or computers, and the associated lack of physical and/or access security at such remote units.
Experience has established that the network communication media and workstation resident communication programs can be made relatively secure through the use of highly structured protocols and the control of the communication program source code. The problem arises from the common need to convey confidential information from a dispatcher workstation, at a secured location, to an unsecure server workstation or computer location, where the confidential information is to be used in executable files or application programs. Since the means of communication can be made relatively secure, the danger arises from the introduction of "trojan horse" files into executable files resident on the unsecure workstation or computer. Therefore, in the context of a moderately secure distributed computing environment, there exists a need for methods and systems which ensure that "trojan horse" contaminated versions of executable files as may reside on unsecure server workstation are not sent confidential information as a part of a task assigned to the server workstation.